AACR II: Environmental Factors and Lung Cancer Risk
Posted: Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Almost 10% of patients with lung cancer have never smoked, and genetic-based lung cancer screening tools are lacking. Results from a recent study found significant negative genetic correlations between lung cancer and environmental factors, according to Christopher Amos, PhD, of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, and colleagues. Their results were presented during the 2020 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Virtual Annual Meeting II (Abstract 2122/8).
Researchers used cross-trait linkage disequilibrium score regression statistics to verify specific phenotypes linked to lung cancer, in addition to identifying novel phenotypic associations. UK Biobank and OncoArray Lung Consortium summary statistics were used to measure heritability among multiple phenotypes and lung cancer. They also removed genome regions related to the effects of smoking.
They found a significant correlation between alcohol use and lung cancer. Interestingly, although there was a positive correlation with beer and cider use, there was a negative correlation with wine use. Another positive correlation was an association between body mass index and lung cancer, whereas negative correlations included physical conditioning and being breastfed as a baby. In fact, the finding held true for body mass index–related metrics as well as within histologic subtypes of lung cancer (including adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinoma).
“This analysis demonstrates a genetic basis for the shared genetic architecture between environmental factors and lung oncogenesis,” explained the research team. “Further studies are necessary to confirm these associations and investigate driving genetic mechanisms.”
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.